"he also added that he worked for a national company and called his CEO `` Bill`` " It's funny because the most authoritarian boss I ever had, whose workers all seemed terrified of him half the time, was the one who preferred the we use his first name and no title. The ones I've had who I spoke to more formally were mostly comparatively more egalitarian .

In any case I tend to find it odd when people are really insistent on calling a person (whether it's a teacher or friend or coworker or boss or whoever) something other than what that person feels most comfortable being called. Assuming you basically respect the person and want to treat them considerately, wouldn't that normally include calling them what they prefer being called?